Main description:

Difference between tissue specific stem cells and embryonic stem cells is explained. The advantages of the latter are included. The application of human pluripotent stem cells, mesenchymal stem cells, and hematopoietic stem cells in cancer therapy and tissue/organ regeneration is detailed. Role of neural cancer stem cells in brain tumors, including their role in brain tumor therapy and the role of CD133 stem cell antigen in glioma patients, is emphasized. Therapeutic role of bone marrow-derived stem cells in myocardial infarction and the role of mesenchymal stem cells in orthopedics are explained. Transplantation of umbilical cord hematopoietic stem cells and allogeneic hematopoietic stem cell transplantation followed by graft-versus-host disease are presented. Role of cancer stem cells specifically in glioblastoma and medulloblastoma is included. It is also emphasized that CD133 is an appropriate stem cell marker for gliomas. Targeting of cancer cells is also explained.

Contents:

Introduction.-1. Pluripotent Human Stem Cells: An overview.-2. Complexity of Tumor Angiogenesis and Stem Cells.-3. Stem Cells like Astrocytes: Various Roles. Part I.Neuronal Stem Cells.-4. Neural Crest Cell-Derived Tumors: An Overview.-5. Therapeutic Neural Stem Cells for Brain Tumor Therapy.-6. Brain Tumors: Role of Neural Cancer Stem Cells. Part II.Gliomas.-7. Targeting Cancer Stem Cells with Phytochemicals: Inhibition of the Rat C6 Glioma Side Population by Curcumin.-8. Glioma Patients: Role of CD133 Stem Cell Antigen.-9. Cancer Stem Cells in Brain Gliomas.-10. Primary Glioma Spheroids: Advantage of Serum-Free Medium.-11. Tumorigenesis of Glioma-Initiating Cells: Role of Sox11.-12. Glioma-Initiating Cells: Interferon Treatment.-13. Is CD133 the Appropriate Stem Cell Marker for Glioma?-14. Cancer Stem Cells in Glioblastoma.-15. Glioblastoma-Derived Cancer Stem Cells: Treatment with Oncolytic Viruses.-16. Cancer Stem Cells in Medulloblastoma. Part III.Transplantation.-17. Transplantation of Embryonic Stem Cells Results in Reduced Brain Lesions.-18. Allogenic Hematopoietic Stem Cell Transplantation Followed by Graft-Versus-Host Disease: Role of Adenosine A2A Receptor.-19. Umblical Cord Blood and Alpha-3 Fucosyl Transferase-Treated Haematopoietic Stem Cells for Transplantation.-20. Bone Marrow-Derived Stem Cell Therapy for Myocardial Infarction.-21. The Use of Mesenchymal Stem Cells in Ortheopedics. Index.